RCB book IPL 2026 playoffs berth with clinical win against Punjab Kings

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru earned their third consecutive play-off berth after handing Punjab Kings a clinical defeat in the latter’s den. A dominant batting performance, coupled with clinical bowling, sealed the game for the Royal Challengers, handing Punjab their sixth consecutive defeat in the ongoing IPL season.

RCB batted first after Punjab won the toss. They made a couple of changes from the last game: Rajat Patidar was replaced by the incoming Suyash Sharma while Romario Shepherd came in for Jacob Duffy. Jacob Bethell got off to a roaring start, hitting a couple of boundaries to get the RCB innings moving.

However, before the innings could gain momentum, Harpreet Brar bowled him, dealing the first blow to RCB. Undaunted by the early wicket, Devdutt Padikkal joined Virat Kohli and the Royal Challengers returned to their aggressive best as the duo steered along perfectly.

Padikkal smashed 45 off just 25 balls, hitting four fours and three sixes while Kohli continued to mix aggression and composure perfectly. The two put together a strong 76-run stand for the second wicket from just 41 balls before Brar struck again to remove DDP.

Virat quickly switched gears after Padikkal's departure, while an incoming Venkatesh Iyer took his time to settle in. Virat registered his fourth fifty of the season and also crossed the 500-run barrier in this tournament, marking the ninth time he has achieved this in his overall IPL career.

VK and Venky added 60 runs for the third wicket from just 35 balls, setting the stage for a strong finish to the innings. Virat was dismissed by his former RCB teammate, Yuzvendra Chahal for a 37-ball-58 as RCB were perfectly poised to accelerate in the final five overs.

An incoming Tim David got a good read of the surface while Venky Iyer lit up Himachal Pradesh with his aggressive batting. He completed his half-century in just 29 balls, hitting Lockie Ferguson for a six over long-off. Iyer remained unbeaten on 73 from just 40 balls while Tim David unleashed his power at the other end, creating double trouble for the Punjab Kings.

David hammered 28 off just 12 balls, including two fours and two sixes before falling on the final ball of the innings as RCB posted 222 runs after their 20 overs. Barring Azmatullah Omarzai and Harpreet Brar, all the other bowlers conceded more than 10 runs per over.

Hoping to chase 223, Punjab’s best chance rested on their top-order featuring the likes of Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya and Shreyas Iyer. To their dismay, Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismantled their opening duo, sending Prabhsimran (2) and Priyansh Arya (0) back to the pavilion. Rasikh Salam Dar who came on as the Impact Player in place of Devdutt Padikkal struck in his very first over, dismissing Shreyas Iyer fell for just one run.

Wobbling at 19/3, Punjab needed someone to steady the ship before they could accelerate. Cooper Connolly (37) and Suryansh Shedge (35) joined the attack and began the rebuilding process for the Kings. The duo did a fine job of fending off the RCB bowlers for a while, adding 43 runs for the fourth wicket. As Connolly started to look threatening, Romario Shepherd delivered the much-needed breakthrough, sending the Australian back to the pavilion.

Suyash Sharma further complicated matters for the hosts with Suryansh Shedge fell prey to his spin. Reduced to 93/5, Punjab found a resolute defiance in the duo of Marcus Stoinis who came on as the Impact Player and Shashank Singh. The two added 67 runs for the sixth wicket, sparking hopes of a thrilling turnaround.

Josh Hazlewood’s reintroduction into the attack derailed Punjab's plans. He claimed the crucial wicket of Stoinis which was followed by Shashank trying to single-handedly lift the Kings to victory. However, the required rate kept climbing, and despite a 27-ball-56 from Shashank, it wasn’t enough for PBKS to cross the finish line.

RCB secured a 23-run win to book a berth in the Playoffs while they also cemented the top position in the IPL points table. Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed a couple of wickets while Rasikh Salam Dar registered three scalps, playing an instrumental role in the RCB win. Venkatesh Iyer was the Player of the Match for his unbeaten knock of 73.